Hana (take two) and a wave (or two).

I always take my camera with me when I ride my bike. I like the routes that are mostly up hill from my house, so the pace is slow and there's a lot to stop and see....

Like this ewethful agility...

.....or me in the mirrored window of a house.

But enough of riding and let's hop in the truck and head out to Hana again. Why not, the drive out there alone is so bloody lovely.

I had some company along the way. This guy was strutting his stuff, but the ladies seemed unimpressed.

Strike a pose.

Keanae is about half way to Hana and the further out I drove the more relaxed I became. The colors simplify in to various shades of green, blue, black, grey and white. My eyes and senses engage in the easy palette and my whole system cranks down a notch.

Against this back drop the plants steal the show and currently the haliconias are taking top billing. They grow like weeds along the roadside, providing clumps of color and a stark contrast to the green corridor  of the Hana Highway.

Destination reached and time to set up camp.

Green oranges (no eggs and ham in site).

I have an emergency box....in case of emergencies and this is my emergency tent. As I'd left the instructions at home, that caused a bit of an emergency in trying to erect it. Luckily there were tent experts on site to come to my aid.

All the food groups covered-no emergency here.

Time to pilfer one of those and carbo load at the beach.

We didn't do a whole lot, but there are times not to. Hanging out with friends unplugged and connected with each other was pleasure enough for all of us.

Later that week I had a dental appointment (4pm last of the day) for a filling. The small talk with my dentist is always about windsurfing and he was saying how he'd just bought a video for his wife on the step gybe. After injecting me for numbness, he said "here, let's watch it" so as I settled back in my dental chaise lounge he brought up the video on the ceiling monitor.  With no more patients to attend to, we both sat back throughly enjoying the 8 minutes or so it took for my nerves to go on holiday. I can honestly say it was the best dental appointment I've ever had, plus I was reminded where to place my front hand before flipping the sail!

And finally I throughly enjoyed a long lazy lunch with some newlyweds who had just got back from their European honeymoon. In Barcelona they had come across a gift for me and this was duly presented with love. Intrigued I opened it up to discover one of my favorite things and despite the fact that I have owned this very item before, I was thrilled.

 
The wave. from Sharon on Vimeo.
Thanks to the solar panel in her handbag, Her Majesty bids you goodbye (with apologies for the dirty sanchez 'tash)!

Oohhhhh wait, one more thing, talking of waves, Kepa's now in India - living the dream and making better and better videos.

Going to Hana, Maui.

And so by Tacoma, Ranger, Windstar and Subaru, one by one we all set off, going to Hana, Maui.

Vince is 87 and a non nonsense kinda guy (engineers always are). A bunch of us went to be of service to him and his daughter Jenny, in return for staying on his beautiful land. Here he and Mel are sorting out the evenings sleeping arrangements!

While Jenny bosses Ulli around, I roll up with the new tire delivery.

Dan donated his BBQ - which made it out before he did and the girls decided that for now,  'here' was just as good as any!

Ahhhhhh yes, after weeks of raging wind on the North Shore, the glorious stillness of Hana was a welcome barometric change.

Then Keevil showed up......all tooled, tarped and ready to go, carry on camping!

While the lads put a lick of paint on the new fruit stand that foreman Danny had been in charge of erecting the previous day.......

......the girls set about weeding and replanting the vegi garden.

Banana anyone?

Then it was off to lunch for a cold beer and the best Thai food on Island.

All that manly work got Ulli pumped up for some heavy duty  'Hello' reading on the beach.

While Ian paid tribute to Her Majesty on jubilee weekend.

Those who surfed - did, while I took my gopro and went for a wee! 

It was all go, Dr. Foster supplied the entertainment with his world exclusive fire twirling show.

Only to be upstaged by dark horse Dan who learned to breathe fire like a pro whilst in Egypt (as one does). To say this display was unexpected would be an understatement, but Danny's inaugural fire dribble brought the house down.

Full moon - and Danny makes sure he gets a good look at her.... I mean Uranus. Daniel you're a star!

Hana hou.

The waterfalls were flowing strongly as we gently made our way out to Hana. While Melanie and Michelle rode their bikes, Ulli, Gertrude (aka Ulli's Mum) and I drove, stopping periodically to smell the rain and take in the scenery.

Always breathtaking, never disappointing,

We timed our coffee and banana bread pit stop perfectly, ordering just before a tour bus of XXL's arrived, otherwise it would have been shave ice and information with Aloha for us. Melanie could have used a little of the local knowledge herself before discovering that upon lifting Aunty Sandy's trash can lid, it was home to a giant rat!

The original gated community.

Did I mention the water was in full flow?

As the afternoon rain came and went, we cozied up in our comfy pad and I looked on amazed as Michelle sat in a chair and read a book! It's an understatement to say it's not an activity you often catch her doing, but clearly the side effects of 42 miles up hill and down dale were finally kicking in.

We moseyed over to the Hotel for early evening drinkypoo's and music, but there was no music.....only the reverberating sound of my gasp as the $72 bill arrived for five cocktails! That's definitely taking the piss, but it all added to the humor of the day

Gertrude soaking up the rays on her Maui style throne.

We spent most of Sunday morning at Hamoa beach.......

....while Meesh just nonchalantly walked into the sea wearing the clothes on her back for a quick surf sesh. Who gives a monkeys if they are the 'good shorts' of the moment, a girl has to stash her wax somewhere. I have so much to learn about ease and flow from this young woman!

Boxing Day Bonus.

I intentionally don't lead a stressful life, so it's not like I sit in Makawao and think " I need to get away from it all”, but there is something to be said for walking out of your front door and in to another, where you are responsible for nothing but your own good time.

Even driving to somewhere as familiar as Hana, travelling by myself always gives me a little hit of self confidence and as someone once said, “confidence is the sexiest thing a woman can wear”. So as I headed East, listening via podcast to Michael Caine's Desert Island Disc's I could not have been more content.

For about a week now (in my head) I've seen myself sitting at Hamoa Beach, so once in Hana I headed straight there and matched my own picture perfectly. Chair precisely set up-body in the shade-legs in the sun, book in hand, camera within grasping reach (for Kodak moments like these) and then inwardly congratulated myself for a job well done.

Three hours later I packed up and headed back to my flower farm nest where I sat in the hot tub and recited out loud all the things I'm grateful for.....it took a while.

Hana Bay black sand magic.

Next stop was a Cosmo and some lovely Hawaiian music. I'd barely sat down at the bar when a lovely woman from the hotel came out of no where to ask me “Are you Sharon?”. “Yes”, I replied, perplexed and not yet on board with the ruse that was about to accost me. “Well happy Boxing Day and welcome to the Hotel Hana Maui”. My first thought was “blimey, talk about a full service hotel!”, especially given that I'd snuck in the Art Gallery entrance not even passing by the Front Desk. “So you've come to listen to the music?” she continued “and I know that traditionally you're supposed to be eating a Turkey sandwich, so I've asked the kitchen to see what they can do!” Bloody hell.........Michelle, the Manager on duty was good, very good!

As I began to recognize the words from my Christmas Day post I was sure my friend Cheyenne had called the Resort and told them to look out for me. Michelle floated off as serenely as she'd arrived and left me to ponder my extraordinary welcome, only to return with a Kukui Nut lei and CD of music recorded at the Hotel! “Who put you up to this?” I asked, not willing to let her leave again. I was truly puzzled as only two people knew of my plans, neither of whom could make it. She gently caved, “Well these are from Mark our GM who is English and he'd read your blog”, then she added “and now I know more than I'll ever need to know about Boxing Day”! “He's gone home for the night but I rang him and he said 'Say Hello to Hodgepodge ”.

How gobsmakingly ridiculously cool is that?!

As I sat there contemplating my luck, the man who'd gone home showed up. Enter the lovely and talented Mr.Mark Stebbings who confessed that having read my plans he thought “Oh I can have some fun with this one” and he did...hook, line and sinker. What I loved most was his knowledge that he could totally mess with a complete stranger, but what the hell - you have to figure another Limey's gonna appreciate a joke.... and appreciate it I did.

Ab Fab....note to self, must get more inventive with yanking friends chains. Thank you Mark for a job well done, you took it to another level my son, another level-oy and you still owe me a turkey sarnie PLUS a Hobnob now I know you have a stash!

An assortment of thoughts.

Nice-huh?

I've been dating different stand up paddle boards to find 'the one' that I have chemistry with. So the little one foot surf (of late) on the South side has been a perfect learning curve playground for me.

It's what I do with any significant purchase, I try all my options before making a final decision so I have no doubt that I made the correct choice. It's a carbon copy the attribute testing I recently went through with the camera. How heavy is it, can I manouver it easily (on and off the water), do my feet like the decking, is my balance easy and of course how much does it cost. There won't be a second date with this particular board but I had fun while we were out.

As I rested my paws post paddle, I thought about the ironic Craigslist post I'd just replied to. Months ago I tried a Hawaiian Island 10' board that has since been the standard I've measured all others by. A few days ago that exact board was on Craigslist and I answered the ad as I knew who it belonged to. I asked the owner if he was willing to give an 'exwife' discount and of course he wasn't. The universe gave me the board I wanted but with the joke of attaching it to a man I used to be married to! It was/is all amicable between us, but still I noticed a little voice in my head saying "ya know-he was always bloody stingy, so I'm not giving him the satisfaction of paying full price". Evidently arguing for my limitations worked a treat as I made a low ball offer and didn't hear back from him!

So in my purchasing journey I've got a few more boards to try and amusingly I'm now entertaining the idea of buying the same board my 'ex' is selling.....so I am willing to pay full price, just not to someone I feel I've already given enough of my money to!

Enough of that, lets all stick our noses into nature (but not where it doesn't belong) and take a good long gander at her scrumptious perfection.

My goodness me, what would I do without her?

This is a leftover pici from Hana, a salt and pepper beach in the making and talking of pepper.....

......I didn't do it!

Exactly Cozmo, nap time.